The Dad Factor
by tamasahn
Summary: Rose and Scorpious are in love but are scared of telling their parents for fear of their reaction. What will happen when everyone in Hogwarts finds out? Scorp/Rose. From Scorpius' point of view!
1. Chapter 1

This is so wrong. Like insanely wrong. Now I know all of you perverts out there are wondering what sort of naughty thing I'm doing in the Transfiguration room about 30 minutes before class. While, to put your gutter-filled mind at ease, I am waiting for my über amazing, secret girlfriend. It's innocent, right? Life and love aren't always that simple. My girlfriend is the gorgeous and exciting Rosie Weasley. A Weasley for crying out loud! She's beautiful and smart and sensitive and she makes me want to just tell my dad off here and now. But then common sense kicks in and I remember that my father would at least disown and probably kill me if I told him I was dating a Weasley. Rose assured me that her parents wouldn't be that mean on her and that I could always come live with them if I got kicked out, but I didn't want to take too many chances.

"Scorp," a voice wandered into the room. I looked up into the beautiful face framed by fire red hair. It was even bright under the weak lights of the classroom that faded out everything and apparently made me look even more like a vampire than before.

"Rose," I said, getting up and walking over to her. This was our first class of the morning and I could tell by the crumbs around her mouth that she had just come from breakfast. Rubbing them away with my thumb, I smiled and dragged her away from the door to the far right corner of the room in case someone else decided to come to class half an hour before start time. I leaned towards her to give her a good morning kiss.

"Scorp, I dunno if I can do this anymore. The whole secret thing. It really takes a toll on me and I think Lily's getting suspicious," Rosie explained, turning her head sideways so to block my kiss and looking at my feet.

"Rosie, look at me," I commanded, brushing her hair from the sides of her face and taking it in my hands. Rosie was already about 5 inches shorter than me and, when she was looking down it made her look even shorter. She obeyed and looked me in the eye, her brown eyes were glassy and a single tear had escaped her grasp on her right cheek. I moved my thumb along her cheek and rubbed the tear away.

"Scorp, my dad-" Rose started.

"Will kill me if he finds out that we're together," I finished, finding her eyes in this sad, depressed states I'd forgotten she could be in. "So will my dad. My mom's a question mark, but I wouldn't hold it against her if she at least tried."

"Don't joke about this," Rose snapped, then wincing at her own shortness.

"Hey, hey," I comforted, hugging her head against my chest. "This will be okay. If the only reason you want to break up is because of our parents' stupid dispute, then I'm not allowing you to. But tell me you don't love me and it will be over right now. Just tell me." Rosie squirmed from my hug and looked me in the eyes. Her eyes were now lighter and filled with the life that I was used to seeing from her. She was such a workhorse and such a bundle of energy that I found it amazing that she never drank coffee.

"Scorpious Malfoy. Don't you dare think that I don't love you. Ever," she exclaimed, slapping my playfully across the shoulder. Her voice got louder as she spoke, climaxing in a whisper at the end. She moved her hands to my cheeks and lifted herself up onto her toes to try to reach my face. I laughed at her attempt and lifted her by her waist onto one of the tables.

"We can make out later little lady," I said, tipping my invisible cowboy hat. "It's easier not to let the world know we're dating if I can convince myself to stop myself when someone comes in the room."

"Mmmh," Rose mused, her face sweet as ever. "That's what sucks about the secrecy thing. It's just so hard to remember that I can't tell anyone or make out with you in the corner of the Transfiguration." She grabbed the sides of my Slytherin robes in a flirty exchange.

"We will let people know eventually," I promised, grabbing her hands and intertwining our fingers.

"But eventually is too far away," Rosie complained, giving her best attempt at a puppy dog face.

"I know but I'd like to know I have a place to stay before I tell the world that I am dating my dad's school day enemy's daughter. It would just make our entire relationship a feeder for gossip. Remember what happened with Julia Wood and Robert Finnegan. They broke up so fast that two people told me within five minutes of each other that they had gotten together and broken up," I explained, referencing the infamous couple of Wood and Finnegan who had become the gossip couple of Hogwarts and broken up within three days of their relationship going public. There was a huge controversy because Julia and Robert were noted enemies of each other and they were always competing on the Quidditch field and Wood was in Gryffindor and Finnegan was in Hufflepuff and other things that I didn't hear.

"Liar," she accused, somehow able to keep a straight face.

"I am not and I am sad you accused me of that," I said dejectedly. "Longbottom told me that they were together five minutes after Roxanne, the queen of gossip, told me for some reason that they were broken up. Don't give me that look. I don't know why she told me. I just know that she did." Rose's look questioned every second of this story and was somehow able to kill .

"I guess you're right," Rose caved, her voice growing small. "But it's just that I thought we'd be different from all those other gossip obsessed couples. We always are."

"That is one thing you are right about, my dear," I agreed, moving my hands back around her face in preparation of giving her the proper good morning kiss I hadn't been able to earlier. It wasn't going to be making out, just a simple, quick kiss. Romantic but something that I could easily jump away from in case someone decided to enter. As luck would have it, the door opened at that moment, causing me to jump at least 10 feet from my position next to Rosie and casually walk along the wall to where I was sitting with my messenger's bag before Rosie entered. After the walk of shame, I looked up to none other than Albus Potter, Rosie's same-age cousin and biggest protector, was the person that entered. His forest green eyes gave me a look from behind his pitch black shaggy hair that I will never forget, making me feel cruel, even naughty for walking from Rosie. Albus walked over to Rosie and whispered something in her ear, his toned muscles flexing I guessed more for my show than for Rose. Rose jumped down from the table and fixed her skirt, blushing even more than usual.


	2. Chapter 2

I was pacing across the astronomy tower. My mind was racing as I replayed everything from the day. There was no way that Albus could know about Rose and me, right? I mean she could lie when she needed to. She could say that we were just talking or discussing a project. Goddammit, why was she so perfect and why couldn't our dads just get along? I mean I wasn't asking for world peace or something so fairytale. All I wanted was a chance to be with the girl I wanted. Couldn't Albus just have a heart and not protect Rosie like she was a friggin' child. We were fifth years already; I mean she was definitely kissed before I came along. Then I heard the door open and I whipped around, my black with green trim Slytherin robes ballooning out before encompassing my legs in a death grip like a snake.

"Rose," I called, expecting her and only her, and at first I thought I was right. Her bright red hair almost always stands out of a crowd, but then I noticed the hand against her back, leading her along. Attached to the hand was a body of none other than Albus Potter. He looked even bigger standing in the darkened doorway. The golden child of the "chosen one" had followed in his father's footsteps and was a Quidditch player for Gryffindor, but he was even more intense than his father. He was also a seeker, but he was built for a beater, with muscles on top of muscles to the point that he could be a body builder if he trained just a little harder. In reaction to him pushing Rose into the room, I tried to take a step forward to meet her but was caught by the robes and nearly fell face first, only kept up by pure luck.

"Rose, tell him what we talked about," Albus commanded as he followed her in, his own robes puffing out ever so slightly to make him look like a dark master. In the winter moonlight, I got a better look at his face. He had a strong jaw and green eyes that looked better on his father. Without his father's signature glasses, Albus' eyes were also smaller, giving him a more intense and violent look.

"Don't talk to her like that," I insisted, trying to hide the fear from my voice. I was built from Quidditch, with a complete set of seaker muscles myself, but I was a twig compared to Albus who was huge in every way possible. Rose looked to me, not fooled by my façade, but there was obvious pain in her soft brown eyes. I forced myself to look away, not wanting to get in the middle of Albus and his protectee. It was like a mother bear and her cub.

"Scorpious," Rose explained, her voice cracking every other syllable, "Albus was explaning to me that…that he will tell the whole school if we don't break up. I can't deal with my family finding out that way. I just can't, and I know that you don't get this because you're an only child, but it's horrible. So just stop trying and just let me go." She tried to fill her voice with anger and passion, but was on the brink of tears, her voice even cracking towards the end. Instinctively, I walked towards her, my robe now in its normal, nonintrusive state. I strode to her, each step closing the boundary between us, before a large figure became a human barrier.

"Just stop trying, Scorpious," Albus said, his face unmoved by the recent events. "She made her choice and it's over. So why don't you just go back to your little room and do that oh so precious homework of yours."

"Shut up Albus," I spat, trying to see Rose though him. "She's just saying what you made her say. She doesn't want any of this and is only doing this because she cares about what her family thinks, unlike someone apparently."

"You're just like your father, you know that?" Albus mocked, playing what we both knew was his knockout card. "Apparently he also thought that he was the boss of everyone else, too. Well I guess some things never change. Do you want to wait to be thrown into Askaban, or do you want me to just turn you in now?"

"Goddammit Albus!" I spat, trying to hide the pain from my face. "I wasn't given everything, Golden Boy, so why don't you back up your threats. Take out your wand before I blast your head off, you worthless little prince." Taken aback for just a second, he fiddled in his robe for a wand. I pulled mine out deftly and motioned for Rose to stand back. She followed, but I noticed that she had a hand right along where her wand should be. I knew I couldn't let her be involved in this fight. It was her family versus me and I didn't want to know which way she would lean. All this thinking gave Albus time to get his wand out, which I only noticed when he started to point his wand at me. As fifth years, we weren't really working with nonverbal spells yet, but Albus seemed determined to try one and waved his wand a little, pushing himself not to talk at all. As a tiny, weak light emitted from his wand, I assumed he had messed up and wondered why he didn't just whisper it instead of not speaking all together. Blaming it on pride, I raised my wand to his face and yelled,

"Expelliarmus!" I let my wrist flick through, just to have a little flair in there. Thanks to my little show of douchiness, my spell nearly missed him, curving like I had seen my parents make their spells do sometimes. Despite the movement change, it got Albus' right arm, which happened to be his wand arm. I watched his entire arm uncontrollably fly back, releasing his wand so it flew up and fell harmlessly on the floor in front of him. We raced to get the wand and, although he was big, I was smaller and faster and reached the wand a split second before he did, placing my foot over the long maple wand. Sliding on his knees to where I stood, he looked up at me, with every ounce of hatred and power that there had always been. I moved my wand to right under his chin, the way I'd only heard about it happening.

"You don't even know the half of what I can do," I snarled, turning my arm over so my wrist faced me. "Leave and never speak of this or you won't leave with an ear next time." Albus got up, dejected and pissed, and raised his arms. I slowly lifted my foot and bent down to grab his wand, never leaving his eyes. He reached for his wand and I swiped it back, placing my wand against his back and leading him to the door. Once out, I threw his wand across the hallway, making him have to run on over to pick up the wand. By that time, I was already back in the safety of the locked astronomy tower. Looking disturbed by the recent encounter between family and her secret life, Rose was huddled in a corner, motionless and noiseless. I ran over to her and fell to my knees, all my thoughts centered on her and only her.

"Rosie, babe," I said, my arms instinctively wrapping around her. Unlike usually, she scooted away from me, my hands slipping from my back to her waist. I leaned over and kissed her cheek, tasting her fear against my lips.

"Everything he said," Rose said. "Everything he said will happen, only it will be worse. I know I tried to break up with you once this morning and I can't try that stupidity again. But, once everything's said and done, don't say I didn't warn you." Her voice cracked with tears every couple of words because we both knew that everything she said was completely and utterly true. Over the course of that night, she gradually moved closer to me, ending up with us sitting there, my arms wrapped around her fetal position body. She cried a lot and I did all I could, patting her eyes with my sleeves and covering it with makeup whispering support through her ears. WE must have looked like quite a pair, sitting in the middle of a dark astronomy tower (which, in case you're wondering, did not have class that night). Together, our perfectly clothed bodies always touching, we sat throughout the night and just wondered about the future. That's one word that I almost never used. Future. It had always been clear and planned out for me, by my dad, by my teachers, even by Rose sometimes. Now Albus was in charge, and I had no clue what sort of pain he could bring me. Feeling my tension, Rose placed her head against my shoulder, keeping our hands clasped.

After that sleepless night, I looked to Rose as we saw bits of light coming up through one of the small windows.

"Let's go face the music," I said, kissing the top of her head. "We'll stay strong, I just know it." I smiled to her, hoping my words of encouragement actually meant something to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm so bad at updating I'm sorry! If you guys don't want to read, don't worry. But, I'm not using this thing called , so I'm writing about this every day now! It'll take some time to proofread them, but, more updates!

So there we were. We walked out of the Astronomy Tower and headed out, hand in hand. Albus was the king of Gryffindor and the word would've gotten out by now. The rumor mill was always looking for more gossip, and, if the newly announced relationship between the children of two enemies didn't satisfy their needs, I was pretty sure that nothing would.

Rose's eyes had dark bags under them and just looked really, really bad. She still hadn't combed her hair and it looked like we just had a very, er, private night.

"Rosie," I cooed, "You know I love you and you look beautiful all the time, but we should go to your room and get you a brush before we head down to the Great Hall. Just to make sure you look beautiful and to make sure your brother only gives me stink eye and doesn't kill me for...um, you know."

"Scorp!" she laughed. It was the same laugh that she'd always had and it made me smile so much. She was beautiful and, oh, that was the most beautiful sound. "Let's go! Do I really look like that? Please be honest." I swallowed my pride and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry that my mind went there, but I'm a teenage boy and we see it that way. You are still the most beautiful girl anywhere, but I don't want other people to see you in a different way because you aren't and you shouldn't be viewed that way, and, if it was because of me, oh that would be horrible. So, it doesn't look bad, far from that, like always, but, please don't ruin your reputation..." I continued babbling about how Professor Longbottom (the female one) would totally talk to her about it and how I would not live myself if I was the cause of that. Somehow, we made it back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Scorp, come in with me. You'll have to stay in the common room, I'm sorry, but just keep yourself small. Don't talk to anyone and I will be back as soon as I can. I promise you." She kissed my cheek, getting a couple looks from others around the halls, and dragged me to the door. I covered my ears, more as a joke than anything. It's not like I didn't already know the Gryffindor password. I mean, I'd been in there a number of nights beforehand. No, we never did anything night-scandalous. It was all totally legal and happy, but it had only been the two of us. Never more, never less. Now that everyone knew, why the hell shouldn't we just be bragging this all across the Gryffindor Common Room. I walked in the room and got looks. Not just looks about who I was and why we were together. No, they already knew who I was. They obviously knew who I was. They were giving me the stink eye. I squeezed Rose's hand one last time as I let her climb the stairs to her dorm. I stood in the corner and looked onto the others there. Albus walked out of the crowd, tight jawed and pissed as hell.

"Why is my cousin's hair like that?" he protested.

"Why is it your issue what sort of hairstyle she decides to sport?" I replied. "I think it looks quite good on her."

"If you do anything to ruin her, anything at all. I swear to you, I will hurt you. And it won't be like last night. I will break your neck." I stayed cool and calm, not changing my face at all. There was no way I was letting him win this one. I wanted a perfect record. This was all for Rose. I looked quickly to the stairs, sadly not to see anything. I then looked at the ground.

"Honestly, dude," I said, not sure why I included the dude at the end of that, "if I ever

ruined her. If she seems different, even minorly less happy at all. Please beat me up. I know she's your cousin, so she means a lot to you, but her happiness is insanely important to me. She should never have to sacrifice anything for me ever. Promise me that you'll beat me up if she's ruined." I up to look at his eyes. They were confused, but didn't changing much. I offered my hand, releasing pressure from the wall. He sneered and turned away. I smirked. He had just promised me with that. By this time, Rose came down with a clean pair of clothes on and brushed hair. I pushed the last of my weight from the wall and strolled over to her, ignoring the eyes of confused Gryffindors.

"I'm so sorry," I began, trying to fake a sad face, "I just told off your cousin, I think. I hope you can some day forgive me." She smiled and burst out laughing, taking my hand. I grabbed her hand like a gentleman, letting her place her weight on it so she could look like a lady walking down the steps, even if she was just in her normal skirt, shirt, and robe. Not that it wasn't a very nice skirt, it just wasn't the normal formal-style one expected to be associated with getting helped down the stairs. I smiled coyly as she took my hand and tried to keep a straight face as she descended the final stairs. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and shuffled her out of there, trying to protect her with my robe. We'd already gotten so many looks from so many people, that it felt appropriate to protect her from the paparazzi. We finally made it outside of the common room and I released Rose from my arms.

"You're a very odd boyfriend," she commented. "One second you're making a show about getting my down the last stair and the next second you're shuffling me out as though no one should see me. Like I was about to be killed or something. " I smiled to her and shrugged my shoulder.

"No offense, Rosie," I said. I hated the phrase "no offense." Obviously, if you said it, it was going to be offensive to that person. But this was different. It was just a joke, or at least to me, "but I was doing it more for your brother. He was very, very offended by your hairstyle and I wanted to show him exactly how I would treat you. Like a lady, and then like a defender. That was all that he wants for you, and I know it sucks for him that it's me, but it would be better than having it be like some jerk." Rose gave me a weird look.

"If he were a jerk, I'd doubt that he'd either protect me or treat me like a lady. Thusly, you are not a jerk and a far better boyfriend than they could ever fathom being," Rose explained in her normal, brainy way. She got this little look when she was thinking, she'd look into my eyes, but her wheels were turning so she wasn't really looking at me. And she moved her hands, a lot. Not big, not too far away from her body, but a lot of movement in the small space she allowed herself. I smirked to her, happy to see that she wasn't too scared or offended to stop joking with me. Or to stop explaining all her perfect rationalization either.

"You're far too smart for your own good, you know that?" I inquired, smiling to her face. Now it looked proud that she had made her point, but also back in reality. Not wanting to be shown up any more, I wrapped my arm and robe around her back once more, although this time she was more open to the public world, the glaring eyes. I tried to keep her calm, running my thumb in circles around the top of her shoulder. It might have calmed me down more than her, just touching her and, then, having the circles added in just made me think about something else. The staircases led us to the Great Hall: to breakfast. Sadly, there were just long benches, so I couldn't make a giant show of taking her chair out like a gentleman again.

"Which do you like better?" I spit out, somewhat randomly, although, I continued to explain. "The protective me or the gentleman me? Because it sounds like it messes with your head too much for me to be both." I smiled and laughed a little, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Hmmm," she murmured as she started piling food onto her plate, "I mean, I liked it when you protected me like last night and stuff, but, in the usual, I like to think that I can take care of myself. Not going totally feminist on you, but my mum and dad went through so much, it's kinda hard to live in that house without becoming independent." I nodded and started on my own food.

"Whatever makes you happy," I cooed in between bites. "Just try to be honest with me. I know it's hard, it's never easy for anyone, but try to tell me when you need me to hold you."

"You'll know," she retorted quickly, although I swear I caught a wince in there. I placed my hand on her back, just below her neck.

"I sure hope I can," I breathed. She rested her head on my shoulder for a second, closing her eyes so I saw the back of her eyelids, beautiful and make up-less. Naturally beautiful.


End file.
